Book Review: African Icons

January 17, 2024 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

It’s a terrible thing that Black History Month so often focuses on the period of slavery onward, as if there was nothing of note happening in Africa during this time or indeed throughout the course of history before colonization.

I know when I was in school we learned about ancient Egypt, but that was about all the African history we learned. Of course there is so much more to know and so many historical figures from all over Africa that we should all spend more time learning about.

African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History by Tracey Baptiste introduces young readers (and perhaps their teachers/parents) to 10 important Africans they might not have heard of before.

The list includes:

Menes, the first pharaoh of a united Egypt
Merneith, who led the country after her brother’s death and was nearly erased from history
Imhotep, the son of an architect who became a doctor and chief advisor to a pharaoh, and venerated as a god after his death
Aesop, the famous fable writer, who was likely Ethiopian and whose moralistic tales have been passed down for centuries
Hannibal Barca, the general and military strategist who waged war with Rome
Terence, a north African playwright enslaved in Rome, who was freed and educated by a Roman senator who saw what a good storyteller he was
Amanirenas, queen of Kush who battled Rome after they conquered Egypt
Tin Hinan, a leader of a nomadic group who led her people who establish a permanent community in the Sahara Desert (and whose story was considered a legend until her grave was found in 1925)
Mansa Musa, a ruler of Mali who expanded the wealth and size of his nation and is considered the richest person ever to have lived
Queen Idia, who ruled beside her husband in Benin, then raised an army to ensure her favored son would become king after his father’s death

Woven around these stories are essays about the history of Africa more generally, the importance of storytellers and books, and the history and culture that was lost through colonization and enslavement.

These stories would be great to share in a middle school/junior high classroom (they’re all pretty quick reads) as you learn more about African history, or to read at home as a family. These stories are the heritage of Black people everywhere and it’s important for all of us to know more about it.

About the book: 176 pages, paperback. Published 2021 (paperback edition 2024) by Algonquin Young Readers. Suggested retail price $9.99 paper/$14.99 hardcover

Next Plan Idea:

Black History Month Activities for Kids

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Book Review: Las Mañanitas

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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